Ford's Blind Spot Mirror and 100 per Cent Recycled Seats Win Prestigious CAA Award

• Press Release
• Source: CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (CAA)
• On 10:51 am EST, Tuesday January 13, 2009

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 13, 2009 -- Ford's newly developed blind spot mirror and its 100 per cent recycled seats have garnered two prestigious CAA Pyramid Awards(TM), a historic first as no previous automaker has ever won both awards.

The new blind spot mirror, which won the CAA Pyramid Award for safety innovation of the year, uses a secondary convex spotter mirror that provides an optimized view of the driver's blind spot. When traffic enters the vehicle's blind spot, the driver will be able to clearly see the traffic in the convex mirror.

In focus group testing by Ford, some 76 per cent of respondents said the mirror improved their confidence while driving. In addition, respondents said the learning curve to adjusting to the blind spot mirror was minimal.

"Given CAA's strong commitment to road safety, we are pleased to see automobile manufacturers like Ford, creating safety innovations that help keep Canadian motorists safe," says Tim Shearman, president of CAA. "Improving blind spot visibility will help to reduce collisions on our roads."

Ford also received a CAA Pyramid Award for environmental initiative of the year for its 100 per cent recycled seats.

The seats are made of a new fabric that uses 100 per cent post-industrial recycled materials. By incorporating these seats into manufacturing, it is estimated that 600,000 gallons of water, 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide, and more than 7 million kilowatts of electricity will be conserved.

"We know that the environment is top-of-mind for Canadians, so we are pleased to see automobile manufacturers taking proactive steps to improve the environment," says Shearman. "We are excited to give Ford this award as it demonstrates how small changes at the production level can have big positive impacts on the environment."

For more information about the Pyramid Awards or CAA, please go to: http://www.caa.ca.

About the Pyramid Awards:

Introduced by CAA in 1983, the Pyramid Awards are designed to showcase automotive excellence in the areas of safety innovation and environmental achievement. Any company that sells or manufactures vehicles in Canada is eligible for the CAA Pyramid Awards for either a single initiative or a collection of initiatives.

About the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)

CAA is a federation of 9 automobile clubs serving 5.3 million members through 148 offices across Canada. CAA provides a wide range of member services and works to improve travelling and motoring conditions at home and around the world, including national advocacy efforts on both traffic safety and public policy issues that affect Canadian motorists.

     Contacts:
     Canadian Automobile Association
     Leanne Maidment
     Director of Communications
     613-247-0117 ext. 2007
     lmaidment@national.caa.ca
      
     Canadian Automobile Association
     Dean Morin
     Communications Manager
     613-247-0117 ext. 2026
     dmorin@national.caa.ca
     http://www.caa.ca